One of the essential tools required to mine cryptocurrency is a mining software package. This is the computer program that will manage the actual mining process. If you’re a solo miner, this crucial software connects the mining hardware to the blockchain. If you’re mining as part of a pool, however, your software will simply connect your hardware to the pool. Cloud mining requires no specific software, as this is included as part of the service.
The mining software you choose will deliver the processing power you’re providing to the cryptocurrency network, as well as accept the completed work of other miners on the network. The same software monitors and records these processes and displays statistics for the user to assess. The statistics provided by most leading mining software packages include the temperature of the GPU, fan speed, processing speed and hashrate.
Choosing a Wallet
Some cryptocoin mining companies offer a wallet as part of their package. However, you’re usually free to find your own. Your mining software will use the address of your wallet to send the keys to your rewards. The leading wallets on the market right now include Ledger Nano S, Electrum, Mycelium for Android devices and Breadwallet for iOS.
The Main Cryptocurrency Mining Companies
There are different software packages for different operating systems, so it’s important to ensure you choose the correct package for the system you’ll be using.
Windows and Linux
BTCMiner — An open source software package that offers dynamic frequency scaling and ready-to-use Bitstream.
BFGMiner — This popular mining company has developed a software package that focuses on ASICs rather than GPUs. Among the features available include ADL device reordering, fan control and enhanced overclocking.
EasyMiner — This GUI-based software offers support for the getwork and stratum protocols, and it can be used for both pool and solo mining operations.
Bitcoin Miner — This user-friendly software includes mining pool support, power-saving modes and fast-share submission. Designed specifically for mining Bitcoin, this product includes monitoring tools that let you know if your mining operations are profitable.
CGMiner — This is one of the most recognisable and popular mining software packages used by cryptocurrency miners today. Through a single interface, users can control fan speed and detect new blocks. There is also support for multi-GPU and CPU mining rigs.
Mac OS X
RPC Miner — This popular package is compatible with Mac OS 10.6 and higher, and can be integrated with APIs.
It’s worth pointing out that the hardware mining software for Linux and Windows also works with Mac systems.
All of the mining companies listed above have developed effective software that makes connecting to cryptocurrency networks quick and easy. But before you make your decision, it’s a good idea to compare the features they offer. Read reviews from existing miners to get a feel of what each one is capable of.
Mining cryptocoins can earn you a reasonable and steady income — but only if you have the right hardware and software at your disposal.
